Study: Men With Sperm Defects Have Higher Risk of Dying Prematurely

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(CBS Las Vegas) — A new study out of Stanford University’s School of Medicine says that men with sperm defects have a higher risk of dying.

In the study, young and middle-aged men who had sperm defects such as low sperm count or abnormal sperm movement were two times more likely to die prematurely in the eight-year period of the study than men with normal sperm according to Live Science.

The study examined about 12,000 men who visited fertility clinics in California and Texas, who were between the ages of 20-50 and who were trying to have children. The study collected information on those men’s sperm count, semen volume, sperm shape, and the sperm’s ability to swim.

Taking into account other factors such as age and health conditions like diabetes and heart failure, the results still displayed a link between sperm abnormalities and early death.

A total of 69 deaths occurred throughout the eight-year study. Those men that had sperm defects or abnormalities were 2.3 times more likely to die during the study than men without.

The reason for the findings is still unknown, however past research has also identified a link between infertility in men and heart disease. According to Dr. Michael Eisenberg, men with sperm defects could have undetected health problems that result in a higher risk of death.